Earth Sciences (GEOL)

The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes

105Lg Planet Earth (4, FaSpSm) Geologic structure and evolution of planet earth. Principles of plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, processes of mountain building, continent and ocean formation, earthquakes, volcanism, development of landforms by running water and glaciers. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day or two-day field trip required.

107Lg Oceanography (4, FaSp) Physical, chemical, and geological character of the oceans and ocean basins. Origin of the oceans. Ocean processes and agents. Economic value of the oceans. Not available for major credit to earth or geological science majors. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day field trip required.

108Lg Crises of a Planet (4, FaSpSm) Impact of civilization on planet earth, and impact of earth's natural evolution on society: earthquakes, volcanism, landslides, floods, global warming, acid rain, groundwater depletion and pollution; mineral and fossil fuel depletion, formation of the ozone hole. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day or overnight field trip.

125Lg Earth History: A Planet and Its Evolution (4, FaSpSm) Basic principles of physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics used in evaluating clues written in the rock record, and the processes that have shaped our planet. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. At least one field trip required.

150Lg Climate Change (4, Sp) Climate systems from the beginning of earth history to the present; tools and techniques used to reconstruct prehistoric climate records; effects of climate variations on development of life forms on earth.

205L Quantitative Methods for the Earth Sciences (4, Sp) Introduction to quantitative methods applied to the earth sciences: scalar and vector statistics, spreadsheet analysis, 2- and 3-D graphics and computer algorithm development. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory. Recommended preparation: GEOL 105L.

215abL Mineralogy and Petrology (4-4, FaSp) Introduction to the study of minerals and rocks; chemical bonding and crystal chemistry; mineral identification and paragenesis; rock identification and paragenesis; processes of formation of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 6 hours; required field trips. Recommended preparation: GEOL 105L; corequisite: CHEM 105aLg or CHEM 115aLg.

240Lg Earthquakes (4, FaSpSm) Causes of earthquakes and nature of large faults; earthquake hazard and risk; world's great earthquakes; understanding the Richter scale. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours; one field trip required.

305Lx Introduction to Engineering Geology (4, Sp) Principles of geology with emphasis on stratigraphy, structural geology and degradational processes; basic geologic considerations in civil engineering practice; introduction to mineralogy and petrology. Field trip required. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Not available for major credit to earth sciences majors. (Duplicates credit in former GEOL 105Lg.)

320L Surficial Processes and Stratigraphic Systems (4, Fa) Processes of erosion, sediment transport, and deposition that shape the land surface; landscape response to tectonism; recognition and interpretation of depositional environments in the stratigraphic record. (Duplicates credit in former GEOL 334L, GEOL 451L.) Prerequisite: GEOL 215bL.

321L Structural Geology and Tectonics (4, Sp) Field and theoretical aspects of rock deformation, analysis of structural systems, and stress and strain; orogenic belts and plate tectonics; introduction to field techniques and construction of geologic maps. Prerequisite: GEOL 320L.

333L Paleontology and the Evolution of Life (4, Fa) Origin and evolution of life; major marine fossil groups and their evolutionary history; utilization of fossils in age determinations; fossils and reconstructing ancient environments, geography and ecology. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours; field trips. (Duplicates credit in former GEOL 406.)

390 Special Problems (1-4) Supervised individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. Enrollment by petition only.

412 Oceans, Climate, and the Environment (4, Sp) Survey of physical, chemical, and geological oceanography emphasizing the role of the ocean in environmental problems, including modulation of climate and atmospheric composition, biogeochemical cycling, pollutant transport, paleoceanography, and paleoclimate; discussion section covers problem sets illustrating simple calculations. Prerequisite: CHEM 105bL or CHEM 115bL, MATH 126; recommended preparation: PHYS 151Lg, PHYS 152L or PHYS 135ab.

421L Advanced Structural Geology (4, 2 years, Sp) Advanced field and theoretical aspects of rock deformation, analysis of structural systems, and stress and strain. Field mapping and construction of geologic maps in ductilely deformed rocks. Field trips. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Prerequisite: GEOL 321L.

440 Geophysics and Geoengineering (4, Sp) Earth's gravity, magnetic field, earthquakes, seismic wave propagation, internal constitution and dynamics, heat flow and internal temperatures with geoengineering and plate tectonics applications. Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, one hour. (Duplicates credit in former GEOL 427L.) Prerequisite: MATH 126; corequisite: PHYS 135bL or PHYS 152L.

460L Geochemistry and Hydrology (4, Fa) Composition and origin of the earth; principles of physical chemistry applied to aqueous systems; reaction-diffusion modeling; principles of hydrology; environmental problems. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory/discussion, 2 hours. Prerequisite: CHEM 105bL or CHEM 115bL and MATH 126.

465 Summer Field Geology (4, Sm) (SS only) Four weeks of geological field mapping from a centrally located camp in the California Coast Ranges or Great Basin. Recommended preparation: GEOL 321L.

470 Environmental Hydrogeology (4, Irregular) Concepts in hydrogeology and their application to environmental problems. Topics include groundwater chemistry and hydrology, contaminants and their behavior. Guest lectures on regulations and remediation techniques. Recommended preparation: GEOL 460L.

485 Senior Seminar (4, Sp) Analysis and discussion of selected topics in earth sciences; topics will be chosen by students and faculty to focus on areas of recent advances. Senior Earth Sciences or Environmental Studies majors only.

490x Directed Research (2-8, max 8) Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

500 Marine Paleoecology (3, 2 years, Sp) Principles of marine paleoecology; interrelationships between marine organisms and their environment in geologic time. Prerequisite: GEOL 333L; recommended preparation: GEOL 577L.

501 Paleobiology (3, Fa) Concepts and methods for functional morphologic analysis of fossil marine invertebrates. Systematics theory and methodology, macroevolution, and broad biotic trends in the Phanerozoic. Recommended preparation: GEOL 333L.

510L Advanced Stratigraphic Field Methods (3) Stratigraphic field methods and computer-assisted data analysis. Field trips incorporating vertical and lateral facies analysis; collection of paleocurrent, fabric, paleomagnetic, photogeologic and compaction data. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 2 hours; field trips. Prerequisite: GEOL 320L.

511L Depositional Systems (3) Analysis of depositional systems, including conceptual methods of lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, and paleoecology; description of major depositional environments. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

512 Introduction to Chemical and Physical Oceanography (3, Fa) (Enroll in OS 512)

514 Marine Geology (3, Fa) Origin and characteristics of ocean basins; marine sedimentary environments; shoreline classification and character; evolution of oceanic features. Lecture, 3 hours; research conference, 1 hour.

520 Ichnology (3, 2 years, Fa) Ancient and recent borings and bioturbation structures and their utilization in stratigraphic, paleoenvironmental, paleoecological, sedimentological, and geochemical studies. Recommended preparation: GEOL 320L and GEOL 333L.

530 Plate Interactions: Geophysical Aspects (3, 2 years, Sp) Survey of literature on geophysical aspects of plate interaction including thermal and mechanical structure of plates, driving mechanism, mantle convection, and tectonic stress.

531 Plate Interactions: Geological Aspects (3, 2 years, Sp) Principles and geometrics of plate tectonics; geologic characteristics of modern plate boundaries of divergent, convergent, transform type; ocean basin and orogen development from worldwide examples. Field trip.

532 Advanced Geologic Mapping (3, Fa) Principles of mapping geologically complex terranes of different structural style. Fieldwork will be coordinated with seminar review of diverse structural phenomena. Field trips. Recommended preparation: GEOL 321L, GEOL 465.

533 Structural Evolution of Arcs (3, 2 years, Fa) Examination of the physical characteristics of arcs, particularly structural behavior at different crustal levels. Structural and thermal evolution of magma-country rock systems including pluton emplacement processes. Field trip. Recommended preparation: GEOL 215bL, GEOL 321L.

535L Microstructures and Deformation Mechanisms (3, 2 years, Fa) Examination of deformation mechanisms and resulting microstructures in rocks; chemical and textural equilibrium; physical and chemical processes during fluid flow; prophyroblast-matrix relationships; interpretation of kinematic indicators. Laboratory. Prerequisite: GEOL 321L.

536 Principles of Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism (3, 2 years, Sp) Historic geomagnetic field behavior, secular variation, rock magnetism, paleomagnetic techniques, magnetic polarity time scale, apparent-polar-wander paths, and applications to stratigraphic and geotectonic studies. Recommended preparation: GEOL 440.

537 Rock Mechanics (3, 2 years, Sp) Elasticity, fracture, and flow properties of rocks and minerals; effects of temperature, pressure, petrology, fractures, and interstitial fluids. Experimental techniques and geological applications.

538 Tectonic Evolution of Western North America (3, 2 years, Sp) Geosynclinal and orogenic development of western North America from the Precambrian to present, in the light of plate tectonics concepts. Field trips. Recommended preparation: GEOL 321L.

540 Geodynamics (3, 2 years, Fa) Applications of continuum physics to geological problems; fundamental physical processes necessary for an understanding of plate tectonics; quantitative analyses of geological problems stressed. Recommended preparation: GEOL 440.

542 Late Cenozoic Glacial Ages (3) Reconstruction of climatic variability; development of late Cenozoic global glacial/interglacial cycles; marine and terrestrial climatic histories; driving mechanisms of climatic change.

545 Glacial Geology and Photogeology (3) Glacial flow, sedimentation, and landforms; glacial reconstructions and climatic interpretations; glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine sedimentation; quaternary shorelines; periglacial landforms; aerial photographic interpretation; radar and satellite imagery.

546 Reflection Seismology (3, 2 years, Fa) Basic theory, field data acquisition, data processing, methods of inversion, and geological interpretations, using seismic reflection methodology. Recommended preparation: GEOL 440 or GEOL 551.

550 Chemical Equilibrium and Disequilibrium in Geology (3, 2 years, Sp) Phase equilibria; phase diagrams; thermodynamics of aqueous and solid solutions; irreversible thermodynamics; kinetics, diffusion, and metasomatism, with applications to problems in petrology and geochemistry. Prerequisite: GEOL 460L.

551 Introduction to Seismology (3, 2 years, Fa) Basic elements of seismology for the study of the earth's interior and the tectonic process, utilizing observations of seismic waves.

552 Advanced Seismology (3) Advanced methods of theoretical seismology for studying the generation of seismic waves from natural and artificial sources and the propagation through realistic earth models. Prerequisite: GEOL 551.

555 Paleoceanography (3) Mesozoic and Cenozoic paleoceanography; analytical approaches applied to water mass history, paleocirculation, paleoproductivity, nutrient cycling, and paleotemperature reconstruction. Lecture, readings, and research project. Recommended preparation: GEOL 412 or GEOL 512 and GEOL 460L.

560 Marine Geochemistry (3, 2 years, Sp) Principles of chemical sedimentology and aquatic chemistry; diagenesis, authigenesis, and the geochemical cycle. Prerequisite: GEOL 460L.

563 Exchange Processes in the Ocean (3, 2 years, Sp) Equations of motion; abyssal circulation; application of stable and radioactive isotopes to oceanographic problems; air-sea and sediment-water interactions. Recommended preparation: GEOL 412 or GEOL 512.

564 Isotope Geochemistry (3, 2 years, Sp) Variations in the isotopic composition of elements in the earth's crust with applications to geological problems, including geochronology, geothermometry, ore genesis, and crustal evolution.

565 Dynamical Oceanography (3, 2 years, Sp) Introduction to physical oceanography to include atmospheric circulation, wind-driven, and thermobaline ocean circulation. Recommended preparation: PHYS 135bL and MATH 126.

566 Geochemistry Seminar (1-4) Current topics in geochemistry.

567 Stable Isotope Geochemistry (3) Theoretical basis; nuclide nomenclature, partition function ratios, mechanisms and rates of isotope exchange; mass spectrometry and extraction techniques; application of stable isotopes to geologic problems.

568L Metamorphic Petrology (3, 2 years, Fa) An introduction to advanced study of metamorphic mineral assemblages with use of experimental and field data. Lecture, 2-4 hours; laboratory to be arranged.

569L Igneous Petrology (3, 2 years, Fa) Study of igneous and meta-igneous rocks from the basis of experimental and field data and theoretical considerations. Lecture, 2-4 hours, laboratory to be arranged.

570 Thermobarometry (3, 2 years, Fa) Derivation of temperature, pressure, and other intensive properties from igneous and metamorphic mineral data and assemblages. Theoretical aspects of phase equilibria and basis for extrapolation of experimental data and empirical calibrations. Lecture, 3 hours; practical exercises.

571abL Sedimentary Petrology (a: 3, Fa; b: 3, Sp) Petrography, classification, and genesis of major sedimentary rock types. Recognition and significance of ancient and modern sedimentary environments. a: Carbonates and evaporites. b: Terrigeneous clastics and others. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

572L Statistical Analysis of Geologic Data (3) Theory and use of statistical and probabilistic procedures for the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of geologic data. Introduction of mathematical models and digital computing. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Recommended preparation: MATH 125.

577L Micropaleontology (3, 2 years, Fa) Microscopic fossils, especially foraminifera, their classification, the common genera, morphology, evolutionary trends; laboratory and field techniques. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory and field work, 6 hours. Recommended preparation: GEOL 333L.

580 Computer Applications in the Earth Sciences (3) Numerical methods and algorithm development for applications in the earth sciences. Lecture topics include modeling studies, statistics, and time series analysis. Lab topics include computer operating systems, networking, hardware, and special software packages. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

590 Directed Research (1-12) Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

594abz Master's Thesis (2-2-0) Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

599 Special Topics (2-4, max 8, Irregular) Special topics in the earth sciences. Field trip required when appropriate to the topic. Prerequisite: departmental approval; second-year graduate standing normally required.

601 Seminar in Sedimentary Geology (1-3, max 6, Sp) Analysis and discussion of current topics in sedimentary geology; topics will be chosen by students and faculty to focus on areas of recent advances.

650 Recent Advances in Paleontology (3) Selected review of recent ideas in paleobiology, evolution, and paleoecology related to examining the current frontiers in paleontology.

790 Research (1-12) Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

794abcdz Doctoral Dissertation (2-2-2-2-0) Credit on acceptance of dissertation.

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